Sealing-in machine



Jan. 20, 1948.- Y

F. J. MALLOY 2,434,664

SEALING-IN MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 9, 1942 Fig 3. 3715 7 Z6- lnven'bor: Frank J. Mattog, DecoL,

by Cerlrherine A. MaLLog His Execucrix,

50 by WM His A ir=torneg Patented Jan. 20, 1948 SEALING-IN MACHINE Frank J. Malloy,

Heights, Ohio, by

deceased, late of University Catherine A. Malloy, executrix, University Heights, Ohio, assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application November 9, 1942, Serial No. 465,008 Claims. (Cl. 49-2) The present invention relates to sealing apparatus for electric lamps and the like, and is particularly useful for fusing the flared vitreous stem tube of a mount for a fluorescent lamp into the open end of the tubular vitreous bulb thereof.

One object of the invention is to provide apparatus for sealing the flared glass stem of electric lamps and similar devices into the open mouth of the bulb of said devices in a ready and satisfactory manner. The apparatus provides for the sealing of the glass stem, which supports the leading-in wires and other essential parts of the device, to the glass bulb both economically and at high speed. The apparatus is particularly adaptable to seal together the usual commercial stems and bulbs which vary slightly in form.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus for sealing a stem into a bulb wherein a minimum of each of these parts is fused and reshaped by said operation. The sealing of fluorescent lamps, for instance, must be restricted to a relatively narrow end section at each end of the bulb as these sections must be enclosed within small flat bases.

Still another object of the invention is to provide apparatus for sealing a stem into the open mouth of a bulb, which apparatus facilitates the shaping of the sealed portion and, in the case of a double ended bulb, the control of the overall length thereof. The sealing operation provides an outwardly extending ridge or bead at the end of the bulb which permits the more satisfactory fastening of the base thereto, whereas the control of bulb length permits the lamps to be used in standard size lighting fixtures and arranged in end-to-end relation satisfactorily.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description of a species thereof and from the drawing.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a plan view, partially broken away, of a sealing machine embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical section through a head of said machine located at the unloading station; Figs. 3 and 4 are plan and perspective views respectively of the bulb holding jaws of the heads; Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective views of apparatus for raising the mount-shaping means at station H, J and L; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the upper end of the spindle of alternate heads with a mount partially inserted therein; Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a modified spindle for the heads; Fig. 9 is a perspective View of modified apparatus for actuating the seal-shaping means and Fig. 10 is a vertical section through the modifigd spindle shown in Fig. 8 and a corresponding section through a mount and a bulb end in sealing relation thereto and midway in the course of the sealing operation.

The apparatus shown in the drawing comprises sixteen heads II located about the periphery of the turret l2 which heads H carry the mount l3 and bulb M to each of a corresponding number of work stations, A to Q, during the course of rotation of the turret l2. The mount I3 and bulb I 4 are placed in the head H by an operator lo cated adjacent stations A and B. The mount illustrated in the drawing is of the type shown in application Serial No. 368,021, John Flaws, filed November 30, 1940, now Patent N 0. 2,312,245, and assigned to the assignee of this application.

The turret I2 is indexed in a counterclockwise direction and, usually, the operator places the mount it on the upper end of the spindle l5 while the head I] is located at station A, and inserts the bulb M in the holder [6 thereof at station B. The mount I3 is placed in the proper location in the head i I by inserting the exhaust tube I! and leading-in wires [8 and [9 into the axial opening or bore in the pin or cap 20 on the upper end of the spindle l5 and then pushing said mount l3 down until the flared stem tube 2| thereof rests on the head of the pin 20. At such times the end of exhaust tube I1 is confined within the restricted portion 20 of the opening in the lower portion of the pin 20 and the flared stern tube 2| rests on the conical top or head of said pin 20.

The bulb I4 is inserted by, first, pressing it into engagement with the V-grooves 22' in jaw 22 (Figs. 3 and 4) and a corresponding V-groove in the guide 23 (Fig. 2) of the holder 16, and then sliding it down until the open lower end butts against the rim of the flare portion of the stem tube 2| very much as shown in Fig. 9. The handle 24 is then moved to the right to the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4 so that the movable jaw 25 is caused to engage and grip said bulb 14. The guide 23 and jaws 22 and 25 are mounted at spaced points on the rod 26 which extends up wardly from the flanged portion 21 of the spindle I5, and prevent the bulb M from shifting out of position during the indexing movements of the turret I2. The jaws 22 and 25 are mounted between the upper and lower plates 28 and 29 extending from the bracket 30 on the rod 26 and are pivotably mounted on the pins 3| and 32 respectively.

When the bulb i4 is introduced into the head, the roller 33 on the pin 34 holding the handle 24 is located against the shoulder 35 of jaw 25 and the contraction force of the spring 36 extending between pin 35 and the post 3i causes said jaw 25 to be held to its open position as shown at stations A and B. At such times the edge 38 of said jaw 25 rests against the collar 35 of pin lil. When the jaws 22 and 25 are closed, the roller 33 occupies the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4 and the contracting force of the spring 35 keeps the jaw 25 turned so that the rubber pad 4! engages the bulb l4, and the extending portion 32 (Fig. 3) engages the screw 53 turning the jaw 22 into engagement with the bulb l5. roller 33 and pin 34 are supported by the arm ll which swings in the slot 45 in the bracket 35 and which is slotted for the pint-Bl so that it may move in or out as required. Should the bulb i l vary somewhat from normal size, the engagw ment of the extending portion 52 of jaw 25 and the screw 33 in jaw 22 will cause both jaws 22 and 25 to close correspondingly and said bulb l4 will always be directly on the center of the head I l.

Following stations A and B is an idle station C which can if desired be used by the operator for loading the head I I.

In indexing to station D, the next in order, the head H first passes from engagement with the track ll (located below the turret i2) which has prevented it from turning away from the operator and then passes into engagement with the moving chain 48 which rotates it. The track l'l (Figs. 1 and 2) is a stationary member lyin parallel to the path of movement f the head ll through stations P, Q, A, B and C and comprises inner and outer rails 59 and 59 respectively which are mounted on brackets 5| extending from the stationary frame (not shown) of the machine and which define a path along which the roller 52 of the head ll must travel. The roller 52 is mounted on a post extending from the lower face of the fiy wheel 53 which is attached to a portion of the spindle I5 below theturret l2 and is so positioned that the bulb holder i6 is held in a position accessible to the operator. The chain 58, on the other hand, has motion in a counterclockwise direction about the machine which causes it to pass to the sprocket 5d of the head II at station D and to engage corresponding sprockets of many of the other heads H, the driven sprocket 55 and the idler sprockets 5E, 57 and 58. In this particular instance, sprocket 55 is turned by the main driving means (not shown) of the machine and cooperates with sprockets 51 and 58 to direct the chain 28 away from the heads II at loading and unloading stations A, B, C and P, Q respectively where the head I l is held by track ll. Sprocket 56 is part of means for keeping the chain as taut and is mounted on the arm 59 which is biased by the spring 65 so as to pull the chain 58 out of its normal path of movement. An outwardly extending portion of the frame iii of the machine supports the shaft holding the driven sprocket 55, the posts holding idler sprockets 5'! and 58 and the arm 59 supporting sprocket 56.

Station D and station E, the next in order, are similar work stations in that both have pairs of burners 62 and 53 directing soft fiames against the exposed rim of the flared stem tube El and two to three inches of the lower end of the bulb It. These burners 62 and 53 are, on occasion, used in combination with a third pair of burners at the next station F and gradually raise the temperature of the glass parts until they can take the shock of the hard sealing fires at subsequent stations without cracking.

The

Stations F, G, H, J, K, L and M are occupied by the sealing burners 64 which in this particular instance comprise a group of four burners directing very sharp hard flames against the exposed rim of the flared stem tube 2! and the immediately adjacent end portion of the bulb I l. These burners 64 may use a natural gas and oxygen mixture of considerable heating eifect and heat the flared stem tube 2i to such an extent that its rim portion becomes soft and p a W l t head H is at station H.

The softening of the glass parts permits the succeeding operation, which takes place as the head ll is about to index from station H, to be brought about as a pusher means in the form of the sleeve 55 then moves up momentarily against the outer rimof the stem tube 2| causing it to be bent and worked up into more intimate contact with the edge of the bulb I l. The rim of the bulb M may be upset slightly by the action of the sleeve 65 which is sufficiently powerful to bring these parts together should the rim of either the stem tube 2| or bulb I l be incorrectly positioned through improper alignment of the parts in the head I I or should inaccuracies in the form of said parts exist. The sleeve 65 has an inwardly bevelled upper end 55' and is connected to the tube 66 within the hollow center of the spindle l5 by the bolts 5'l5l (Fig. 2) which normally rest at'the bottom of the slots 5'! in the spindle E5 in which they are located as shown because of the downward pressure exerted by the expansion force of the spring 58 which is located between the spindle l5 and the end of tube 65.

The upward motion is imparted to the sleeve by apparatus (Figs. 1 and 5) mounted on the frame 5! of the machine below station H which apparatus comprises a post 69 located directly below the lower end of tube 65; a platform 75 holdin said post 69; a vertically disposed shaft ll supporting said platform 10; and the system embracing link 72, arm l3, shaft 14, arm 75, link it and lever H. The cam 78 on the main drive shaft 85 engages the roller 8| on the lever ll turning it about the post 82 extending from frame iii of the machine and through the various parts of the system causes the shaft H to be moved vertically in the arms of the bracket 83 so that the platform ill is raised and the end of the post 59 is caused to engage and raise the tube 56 to a definite height. During the period of movement, the shaft 14 of the actuating system turns in the arm 84 supporting it, and the bolts 616l connecting the sleeve 65 and the tube 55 slide vertically in the slots 67 in the spindle 15. The arm 84 is a stationary member which is attached to a portion 83' of the bracket 83 located about a lower portion of shaft H. The sleeve 55 remains in the up position for a relatively short time in order to cool the heated glass parts as little as possible and is normally adjusted to produce a .030 inch upward displacement of the rim of the stem tube 21. In some instances it may be desirable to control the gripping force of the holder for the bulb id (for example, by using a weaker spring 35) so as to permit the bulb i l to move upward therein when the rim of the bulb I4 is not suficiently plastic to be displaced the full amount of the movement of the sleeve 65.

The rim of the bulb and the stem tube 2i continue to be heated at station J and finally, as the head ll is about to be indexed therefrom, are further worked and upset by a second momentary upward movement of the sleeve 65. At this station the sleeve 65 is actuated by the moves merits of th post 85 which is mounted on an extension of the platform Ill; however, the post 85 is adjusted to raise the sleeve 65 .010 inch higher than it is raised at station H so as to assure positive contact and wetting of the rims of the bulb I4 and stem tube 2|. This operation also upsets the rim of the bulb I4 until it forms an annular ridge 86 about the end of the lamp much the same as shown in Fig. 2. The mechanical working of the bulb I4 and stem tube 2I by the sleeve 65 at stations H and J causes the entire periphery of the rim portions thereof to be either sealed together or to be in very intimate contact with each other during the interval these parts are treated by the Very hard high temperature fires of the burners at the succeeding stations and prevents said fires from developing openings between the parts. This method of operation is particularly desirable as the pressure of the sealing fires is so great as to enlarge any opening existing between the rim of the stem tube 2I and the bulb I4 rather than allow it to close by the natural flow of said parts.

At station K and stations L and M, the next in order, the burners continue to heat the adjacent portions of the bulb I4 and stem tube 2| so that the entire wall thickness of the seal is securely fused together. At station L the sleeve 65 is again raised into contact with the fused parts but in this particular instance its function is to correct any sagging that may have taken place in the seal and to upset it slightly so that the ridge 86 is slightly enlarged. This latter action of the sleeve 65 raises it .010 inch higher than at station J and is produced by the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 6 comprising post 87, platform 88, shaft 89, link 90, arm 9i, shaft 92, arm 93, link '94, lever 95, roller 96 and cam 9?. The rotation of the main drive shaft 80 on Which the cam 91 is mounted causes the movement of the lever 95 to turn on the post 82 and indirectly the vertical actuation of the post 81 and platform 88. The shaft 89 moves in upper and lower portions of the bracket 98 which is mounted on the frame SI and which holds the arm 99 supporting the shaft 92. The lamp now appears as shown in Fig. 2 having a mount I3 sealed in one end of the bulb I4.

Station N is occupied by a pair of burners I!!!) directing soft flames against the seal and the adjacent part of the bulb I4 as is station 0 although the burners at this latter station are not shown. These burners have an annealing effect on the seal and adjacent parts of the lamp and reduce the rate of cooling to such an extent that the lamp can, after leaving these stations, be allowed to cool in open air without incurring detrimental strains.

The indexing movement advancing the head I I beyond station 0 carries the sprocket 54 away from the chain 48 which has caused it to rotate in the preceding stations occupied by the heating fires and advances the head II to a point where roller 52 enters between the inner and outer rails 49 and 50 of the track 41 so that the head I I stops rotating and the bulb holder IE faces the periphery of the machine.

Station P is an idle station in which the lamp is allowed to cool to a point where it can be handled without injury.

Station Q, the last in the series completing one revolution of the machine, is the unloading station and it is while the head II is located here that an operator opens the jaws 22 and 25' of the bulb holder I6 by swinging handle .24 to the left and removes the lamp from the machine.

The fluorescent lamp is now only partially complete as a mount I3 is sealed in one end of the bulb I4 and the other remains open to the atmosphere. The mount that is sealed in this open end of the bulb I4 may have the same general construction as that now attached to the bulb I4 but usually does not have an exhaust tube or has only a short sealed tube IT in place thereof as shown in Fig. 7 since the exhaust tube I! of mount I3 is sufiicient to permit the exhausting and filling of the lamp. If a mount having a full length exhaust tube is to be sealed in the open end of the bulb I 4,. said bulb I4 can be turned end for end and reinserted into the above described head II of the machine or into a duplicate head of another sealing machine of the same construction.

However, if the mount does not have an exhaust tube or has only a short sealed tube H in place thereof difilculty may be experienced locating the mount directly at the center of the sealing head II. It is preferred in such cases that the pin or cap IIlI has an upstanding lip IilZ (as shown in Fig. 7) over which the tubular portion I03 of the stem tube can be placed to locate the mount thereon. Alternate heads II of the present machine are equipped with pins Isl of this type and the mount and bulb assembly usually taken from the machine at station Q is allowed to pass on to station A where it is removed by the loading operator and reinserted in the head II at station B. In this instance the two operators co-operate in servicing the machine; the operator opposite station Q inserting mounts first with long and then short exhaust tubes in alternate heads II appearing at station A and removing the completed lamp at station Q; and the operator opposite stations A and B inserting open ended bulbs I4 in the heads holding long exhaust tubes at station E, removing the bulbs having a mount sealed over one end from the heads at station A and, after turning them end for end, reinserting them at station B. In such an arrangement, alternate heads II are carrying the bulb I4 through the operations which seal the mount over one end thereof whereas the heads in between are carrying a bulb I4 already closed at the upper end through operations which seal a mount over the remaining open end.

The sealing heads II may be modified in other ways. As shown in Figs. 8 and 10, they may have a heat insulating collar I05 on the upper end of the spindle I5 and a differently formed mount support pin Hi6 and pusher means or sleeve I 01. The collar I05 is made of asbestos and serves to reduce the conduction of heat from the mount support pin I06 so that it and the central portion of the stem tube 2| will be raised to a high temperature during the sealing operation. In this way the development of detrimental strains in the unfused portion of the stem tube 2| is reduced. The longitudinal-1y extending holes I08 in the laterally extending head I06 of the mount piri I06 permit the heated gases passing under said head I06 to engage and heat the central portion of the overlying flange of the stem tube 2I causing a more gradual. temperature gradient therein. The: sleeve III'I in this instance has greater length than in the prior instance and presents the work:

surface I01 in position to engage the rim of the stem tube 2|. The work surface is serrated to are 4,664

modified sleeve actuating means shown in Fig. 9 permits greater flexibility of operation which is required to receive the full benefits of said modification and permits a slight increase in the heat- This modified sleeve tions G and H to lower the sleeve Hi1. This vertical actuation of the sleeve Iii! separates it from the rim portion of the mount It as said rim portion is held by the bulb it because it is partially sealed to it at this time and allows the sealing Fig. 8 can operate satisfactorily in combination with the apparatus already described, but the fires to pass under the rim of the stem tube 2| and up through holes [33 in the head I65 of the mount pin see to heat said stem tube 2| more completely. Should the above actuating means be used in combination with the sealing head ll shown in Fig. 2, the track I I2 will not be provided f with the drop between stations G and H since the sleeve 65 is separated from the stem tube 2| at this time and sufiicient space is provided to allow the sealing fires to reach the outer rim portion of the stem tube 2|.

At station H of the modification shown in Fig. 9, the tube 66 is located over an opening in the track H2 and the upward movement of the sleeve 65 (or sleeve it?) is produced by a corresponding movement of a pin l i3 through said opening and into engagement with the end of tube 66. The pin I3 is mounted on a-lever M pivoted on the pin H55 held by the bracket it: and is actuated by the downward pull of the weight I ll when the bolt HS and the push rod H9 are lowered from engagement with the end of said lever H4. The operations of the push rod H3 is, in turn, controlled by the form of the cam on the main drive shaft so of the machine which is engaged by the roller i2| on the lower end thereof and is produced by the expansion force of the spring |22 located between bracket I23 and the collar lid on said push rod He. Brackets H6 and I23 are stationary members fastened to the frame (not shown) of the machine. In this particular instance the extent to which the stem tube 2| and the rim of the bulb M is worked depends on the plastic or heated condition thereof as the pressure of the sleeve 65 (or sleeve ml) is limited to the effective force of the weight i ll. If greater or less pressure is desired on the stem tube 2| at this station, the weight I ll is moved either away from or nearer the pivot pin H5 on lever H4. The operation of the sleeve 65 (or sleeve I81) is momentary and the tube 65 is lowered again into contact with the track H2 before the head is indexed to the next station.

In the course of the index from station H to station J the tube 55 slides to a lower level of the track H2, in this instance 7 inch below the ,former level thereof, so as to expose the center .of the stem tube 2| more fully to the heat of the fires.

Further actuations of the sleeve 55 (or sleeve |'|l"|)..occur during the indexing movements of the head I I from stations J to K and from K to L and are brought about by raised portions I25 and I26 of the track H2 which cause the rim of the stem tube 2| to be worked up .010 and then .020 inch higher than the maximum permitted at station H. These operations correspond to those taking place at stations J and L in the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 and work the rims of the stem tube 2| and the bulb I i tightly together so that a very good seal of the desired form results. Slightly higher rates of operation are also permissible with the use of th modified mechanism in Fig. 9 as the above movements of the sleeve 65 (or sleeve I01) occur during the indexing movements of the head and do not disturb the application of the heating fires to the stem tube 2| and bulb l4.

Obviously still other adjustments of the sleeve 65 (or sleeve it?) can be provided at any point along the path of movement of the head H by providing a raised portion in the track H2, but the preferred method of operation consists in allowing the sleeve 65 (or sleeve lil'l) to remain at the lowermost position until the lamp is removed and the head passes station Q. Between stations Q and A a rise i2? in the track H2 carries the sleeve as (or sleeve 56'!) to the upper position in which it is located when the mount l3 and bulb Hi are loaded in the head i What is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A seali in achine comprising the combination of a ro le turret, a head mounted at the periphery of said turret and carried thereby to a plurality of stations, said head comprising a vertical spindle carrying a support for the flanged stem of a mount, a holder for a glass bulb above and in register with the mount support, an upsetting sleeve surrounding the upper end of said respect to said mount support, means for fusing said stern and bulb together, and actuating cam mechanisms at a plurality of stations arranged to raise said upsetting sleeve predetermined successive amounts into abutting engagement with the fused joint between said stem and bulb to compress and upset said joint, at least the cam mechanism at one station being arranged to raise the upsetting sleeve substantially higher than it is raised by the corresponding cam mechanism at a preceding station.

2. A head for a sealing-in machine comprising a vertical hollow spindle mounted for rotation about its axis, a mount pin in the upper end of 3 said spindle for supporting the flanged stem of a 55 mount, a holder for a glass bulb mounted above and in register with said mount pin and supported from said spindle, an upsetting sleeve surrounding the upper end of said spindle and movable vertically therealong into and out of abutting engagement with the rim of a stem on said mount pin, a sleeve actuating tube member mounted within said spindle and extending downwardly therethrough and vertically movable therein, and connector means connecting said upsetting sleeve and tube member together, said spindle being vertically slotted to receive said connector means.

3. A head for a sealing-in machine comprising a vertical hollow spindle mounted for rotation about its axis, a mount pin in the upper end of said spindle for supporting the flanged stem of a mount, said mount pin having a laterally extending head portion with holes extending longitudinally and vertically therethrough and adapted to support the mount by engagement of the up- 9 per surface of the pin head with the surface of the stem flange so that said flange overlies said holes, a holder for a glass bulb mounted above and in register with said mount pin and supported from said spindle gas burners located adjacent the upper end of said spindle and adapted to direct flames at the rim portions of the flanged stem and bulb to fuse said portions together and to apply heat upward through the holes in said pin head to heat the stem flange and reduce the strains therein, an upsetting sleeve surrounding the upper end of said spindle and movable vertically therealong into and out of abutting engagement with the rim of a stem on said mount pin, a sleeve actuating tube member mounted within said spindle and extending downwardly therethrough and vertically movable therein, and connector means connecting said upsetting sleeve and tube member together, said spindle being vertically slotted to receive said connector means.

4. A head for a sealing-in machine comprising a vertical hollow spindl mounted for rotation about its axis, a mount pin in the upper end of said spindle for supporting the flanged stem of a mount, a holder for a glass bulb mounted above and in register with said mount pin and supported from said spindle, an upsetting sleeve surrounding the upper end of said spindle and movable vertically therealong into and out of abutting engagement with the rim of a stem on said mount pin and having its upper edge serrated, a sleeve actuating tube member mounted within said spindle and extending downwardly therethrough and vertically movable therein, and connector means connecting said upsetting sleeve and tube member together, said spindle being vertically slotted to receive said connector means.

5. Apparatus for sealing the rim portion of the flange on the stem tube of a mount to the rim of the open end of a bulb comprising a spindle,

a pin in the upper end of said spindle having a laterally extending head portion with holes extending longitudinally and vertically therethrough adapted to support said mount by engagement of the upper surface of the pin head with the surface of the tem tube flange so that said flange overlies said holes, burners located adjacent the upper end of said spindle and adapted to direct flames against the rim portion of the mount and bulb to fuse said portions together and to apply heat upwardly through the holes in the pin head to heat the stem tube flange and reduce the strains therein, an upsetting sleeve member surrounding the upper end of sai.l spindle, and means mounting said sleeve member for vertical reciprocation to work the rim portion of the mount flange into intimate contact with the rim of the bulb.

CATHERINE A. MALLOY, Emecutrix (of the Estate of Frank J. Malloy, De-

ceased.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the flle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

